FEARLESS AVENGER begins with a recap of the first part, TRAIL OF BLOOD, summing up the events that sent badass swordsman extraordinaire Jokichi of Mikogami on a bloodthirsty quest for revenge. Add to that the overall small duration of 79 minutes and one quickly realizes this is more akin to a new episode in a continuing saga than a fully fledged movie but still a good double bill with its predecessor for that matter.
Having killed one of three yakuza bosses responsible for the murder of his wife and son in the previous film, in FEARLESS AVENGER Jokichi hunts down the second one, Boss Chogoro, leaving behind him a trail of blood strewn with the hacked bodies of disposable extras. In the course of the film he is called upon to escort the daughter of the most powerful and feared yakuza boss back to her father, while a group of mysterious figures stalks him on his way. The final conclusion is similar to that of TRAIL OF BLOOD with Jokichi knowingly walking into a trap. Bloody mayhem ensues.
What makes the Mikogami movies so enjoyable, despite their rather unimaginative adherence to genre formulas, is Jokichi's character. An alienated ronin taken straight from the mould of Ogami Itto and other serialized chambara antiheroes but with a twist that sets him apart. A master swordsman as likely to try and avoid trouble with three scrawny thugs he could cut down in a second as he is to storm a gathering of yakuza bosses and take on 100 henchmen single-handedly. Hellbent on his quest for revenge but without allowing his monomania to be sidetracked into charity. Yoshio Harada early in his career does a sterling job in the title role. He would go on to work for such famed Japanese directors as Masahiro Shinoda, Kinji Fukasaku and Hideo Gosha.
In the end, this is not for the newcomer to samurai cinema. It's not as sophisticated or as complex as the jidai-geki of the 60's, nor is it trying to be. It's a pulpy b-movie for the dedicated chambara aficionado, with a decent revenge plot and enough swordplay to keep the whole family happy.
Having killed one of three yakuza bosses responsible for the murder of his wife and son in the previous film, in FEARLESS AVENGER Jokichi hunts down the second one, Boss Chogoro, leaving behind him a trail of blood strewn with the hacked bodies of disposable extras. In the course of the film he is called upon to escort the daughter of the most powerful and feared yakuza boss back to her father, while a group of mysterious figures stalks him on his way. The final conclusion is similar to that of TRAIL OF BLOOD with Jokichi knowingly walking into a trap. Bloody mayhem ensues.
What makes the Mikogami movies so enjoyable, despite their rather unimaginative adherence to genre formulas, is Jokichi's character. An alienated ronin taken straight from the mould of Ogami Itto and other serialized chambara antiheroes but with a twist that sets him apart. A master swordsman as likely to try and avoid trouble with three scrawny thugs he could cut down in a second as he is to storm a gathering of yakuza bosses and take on 100 henchmen single-handedly. Hellbent on his quest for revenge but without allowing his monomania to be sidetracked into charity. Yoshio Harada early in his career does a sterling job in the title role. He would go on to work for such famed Japanese directors as Masahiro Shinoda, Kinji Fukasaku and Hideo Gosha.
In the end, this is not for the newcomer to samurai cinema. It's not as sophisticated or as complex as the jidai-geki of the 60's, nor is it trying to be. It's a pulpy b-movie for the dedicated chambara aficionado, with a decent revenge plot and enough swordplay to keep the whole family happy.